The Ten Worst Players in the HHOF

[DitchMarner]

Lately the induction of Dave Andreychuk has been slammed often. Housley is another name that is often when citing examples of unworthy HHOF'ers...

Who are the ten worst (not least accomplished necessarily) members of the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Click to read more...

 

[seventieslord]

Lately the induction of Dave Andreychuk has been slammed often. Housley is another name that is often when citing examples of unworthy HHOF'ers...

Who are the ten worst (not least accomplished necessarily) members of the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Didn't we just have a thread about who are some players not in the hall who are better than those in the hall? I assume the players named in that one would be the same named in this one.

 

[sr edler]

Back in the days there are some guys that are quite hard to judge – like Steamer Maxwell, Jack Ruttan, Oliver Seibert, those kind of guys....

 

[Big Phil]

Just off the top of my head:

Clark Gillies - It's too bad, because he was good and important to the Isles success but not nearly enough to ever be considered "great"

Phil Housley - Scored a lot, but was equally bad in his own end which is not a good trait for a defenseman

Dave Andreychuk - A player that tends to make you never look at the HHOF the same again

Leo Boivin - Solid defenseman that we would all want on our team, punishing hitter, but so was Bob Baun or Adam Foote. I'd call them very serviceable, not great.

Dick Duff - It says something that when I read the headline "Duff, Roy get inducted" in 2006 I obviously knew who Roy was but was assuming Duff was an obscure player from the 1920s because the only other Duff I knew was Dick Duff and there is no way he'd ever.................

Joe Nieuwendyk - Never a star, never a #1 center for any stretch of time

Bernie Federko - Arguably a guy with a good case to still be in there but if there are 10 guys to take out one might be him

Bob Pulford - Better than Duff, definitely someone you wanted on your team. But great?

Edgar Laprade - No, I didn't see him play and he could possibly have some sort of "the stats don't tell everything" thing about him but I just have never seen it

Cam Neely - No question about it with his health this is a factor. I think a healthy Neely who played into his mid 30s and put up what he put up when he was healthy is a lock and not controversial, but part of me thinks there are times he just didn't have enough great seasons.


Honourable mention, Pat Burns. Not a player of course, but as a Builder. I don't know if I ever thought of him as a great coach. He never lasted more than 4 years on a team before he got fired. He stands out among coaches as someone who really didn't make an imprint on the game.

 

[Big Phil]

By the way, just a little sidebar here, did they really need to wait until 1980 before figuring out that Harry Lumley was deserving? I realize that there was a large backlog of players because the Hall only started in 1945 and this backlog lasted all the way until the 1960s but once they put in the rule that 4 was the maximum and they had caught up to the current crop it wasn't as if the years that predate 1980 all had 4 players inducted.

Lumley retired in 1960 and when he retired he was the all-time leader in wins. How was that not a lock cinch? I just noticed that recently actually.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Another waste of time and keystrokes. Lounge worthy perhaps.

 

[Killion]

Another waste of time and keystrokes. Lounge worthy perhaps.

While I agree..... I look at it, consider it "Group Therapy" of a sort... for those who have issues with the HHOF Induction Committees decisions over the years.... they can come here & unload, get it off their chests.... I see the usual suspects, same names bandied about as being "unworthy".... Fine..... Fill yer boots..... Gillies, Duff, Boivin et al.... their all in the HOF for good reason, agree with their inductions, I dont have any issues with any of the players... When considering the HHOF, Players & Builders categories, I have issues with omissions, people who should be in (Stafford Smythe, Carl Brewer & others).....

 

[MXD]

Scotty Bowman.

 

[Nick Hansen]

There are a few players you could question from a strictly hockey level basis from back then but they did take part in the second World War and returned to the NHL so who am I to question that?

Seems like Big Phil got the most obvious ones besides that.

 

[Canadiens1958]

While I agree..... I look at it, consider it "Group Therapy" of a sort... for those who have issues with the HHOF Induction Committees decisions over the years.... they can come here & unload, get it off their chests.... I see the usual suspects, same names bandied about as being "unworthy".... Fine..... Fill yer boots..... Gillies, Duff, Boivin et al.... their all in the HOF for good reason, agree with their inductions, I dont have any issues with any of the players... When considering the HHOF, Players & Builders categories, I have issues with omissions, people who should be in (Stafford Smythe, Carl Brewer & others).....

Cecil Hart, Ron Andrews, Hazel McCallion definitely.

 

[Killion]

Cecil Hart, Ron Andrews, Hazel McCallion definitely.

Ok... could see a case for Cecil Hart.... Ron Andrews as Statistician for the NHL from the 60's through Expansion & into the 80's as well, ok, case could be made.... but Hurricane Hazel?..... Hazel McCallion?..... long time Mayor of Mississauga & politician (since 1967)?..... originally from Quebec?..... began playing hockey as a child with her 2 sisters with all 3 going on to play pro for $5 a game in a 3 team womens league in & around Montreal sponsored in part by by Kik Cola, a popular brand in Quebec behind Coca Cola & Pepsi?.... HHOF material?....

 

[Big Phil]

Ok... could see a case for Cecil Hart.... Ron Andrews as Statistician for the NHL from the 60's through Expansion & into the 80's as well, ok, case could be made.... but Hurricane Hazel?..... Hazel McCallion?..... long time Mayor of Mississauga & politician (since 1967)?..... originally from Quebec?..... began playing hockey as a child with her 2 sisters with all 3 going on to play pro for $5 a game in a 3 team womens league in & around Montreal sponsored in part by by Kik Cola, a popular brand in Quebec behind Coca Cola & Pepsi?.... HHOF material?....

Hazel is definitely a question mark. I wouldn't personally but if they are actually inducting women's players the odd time despite the fact it seems a little forced for a sport barely off the ground, it might make sense for them to induct someone who took part in the first (?) women's league of three teams. Again, I don't see the point, but if they are forcing the issue with the women's game why not the person who started it?

While I agree..... I look at it, consider it "Group Therapy" of a sort... for those who have issues with the HHOF Induction Committees decisions over the years.... they can come here & unload, get it off their chests.... I see the usual suspects, same names bandied about as being "unworthy".... Fine..... Fill yer boots..... Gillies, Duff, Boivin et al.... their all in the HOF for good reason, agree with their inductions, I dont have any issues with any of the players... When considering the HHOF, Players & Builders categories, I have issues with omissions, people who should be in (Stafford Smythe, Carl Brewer & others).....

I know that there are a couple of us on here who have the opinion that if they are in the HHOF then they deserve it but what about the politics behind some of them? Not to mention the bizarre inclusion of some while others are still waiting. Is Rick Middleton someone who was a worse player than Gillies? Or someone who had a worse career? John Tonelli is hardly any worse than Gillies. In fact I'd have picked him over Gillies.

I recognize the impact he had protecting Bossy and such. It isn't as if I am without knowledge of the man, because I remember him, but it just doesn't add up.

Boivin finished 5th and 10th for the Norris. How is he considered among the best of his generation? This is a guy with a career similar to Bob Baun's. They aren't HHOFers. I'd like them both as my shutdown pair but the people who watched them game in and game out didn't think they were elite defenders. How does that translate into Boivin being in the HHOF?

 

[Canadiens1958]

Ok... could see a case for Cecil Hart.... Ron Andrews as Statistician for the NHL from the 60's through Expansion & into the 80's as well, ok, case could be made.... but Hurricane Hazel?..... Hazel McCallion?..... long time Mayor of Mississauga & politician (since 1967)?..... originally from Quebec?..... began playing hockey as a child with her 2 sisters with all 3 going on to play pro for $5 a game in a 3 team womens league in & around Montreal sponsored in part by by Kik Cola, a popular brand in Quebec behind Coca Cola & Pepsi?.... HHOF material?....

Hazel McCallion's work growing youth hockey by providing structure and facilities in Mississauga and growing women's hockey.

 

[Whaleafs]

I was always confused by Chuck Rayner being in the HOF. His win - loss record is 138 - 208. One Hart trophy, a few All star games.

 

[Killion]

I know that there are a couple of us on here who have the opinion that if they are in the HHOF then they deserve it but what about the politics behind some of them? Not to mention the bizarre inclusion of some while others are still waiting. Is Rick Middleton someone who was a worse player than Gillies? Or someone who had a worse career? John Tonelli is hardly any worse than Gillies. In fact I'd have picked him over Gillies.

I recognize the impact he had protecting Bossy and such. It isn't as if I am without knowledge of the man, because I remember him, but it just doesn't add up.

Boivin finished 5th and 10th for the Norris. How is he considered among the best of his generation? This is a guy with a career similar to Bob Baun's. They aren't HHOFers. I'd like them both as my shutdown pair but the people who watched them game in and game out didn't think they were elite defenders. How does that translate into Boivin being in the HHOF?

Tim Horton said of Boivin that he was very likely the toughest Defender in the league for any forward to face one on one, and by far one of the greatest, most devastating & hard hitting Defencemen in the NHL and this was in the early to mid 50's when Horton wouldve known Boivin very well indeed as Leo was Leafs property, had played for the Hornets & Toronto before being traded to Boston. Indeed, Leo Boivin acquired from the Bruins out of Junior by the Leafs who thought either he or Horton would be more than capable of replacing the lost Bashin' Billy Barilko.....

Horton however was more mobile, bigger (Leo was only 5'8" but built like a Sherman Tank), Boivin far too talented to be sent down, absolutely one of the best of his generation & improving every year so they kept Horton & traded Leo back to Boston where.... yep.... he continued to improve, get better, and already "great". Total anchor, eventual team Captain in Boston. He was a feared opponent, Defenceman. One of the greatest checkers the games ever known. Im talking on par with Shore, Hitchman, Gadsby, Denis Potvin, Scott Stevens.....

So you tell me Phil?.... How is it that astute hockey historians, players, coaches, reporters & fans, people who watched Leo Boivins career through his 10-11yr peak with the Bruins actually call him the "bridge between Shore & Orr" & recognize in him, acknowledge that he was without a doubt one of the greatest Stay-At-Home Defencemen, Greatest Checkers & a terrific Leader of not only his generation but of any yet you.... you disagree and somehow "know better"? You "know more" than his contemporaries with whom he played, by the Coaches, Scouts, players who came before & those who came after but who followed Boivins career, effusively praising the the guys play every one of them? You dont think he's "worthy of HHOF Induction"?

You my friend dont know much about Leo Boivin beyond what youve read. I saw him, plenty of others saw him. Information is not knowledge, and without knowledge there is no wisdom, no understanding, no depth of appreciation for what it is your looking at, dealing with, apprising. Damn straight Leo Boivin belongs in the HHOF... as does Bobby Boomer Baun amongst others. Baun one of the most underrated & forgotten Superstar Defenders of his era. Like Leo, he played a little longer than he should have but then who can find fault with that, salaries doubling, trebling with Expansion..... Your mentions of Trottier, Bossy etc, of Middleton... ya, there are players that should be, should have been inducted. My problem is not with any of those in the HHOF, as I said, its with the omissions, those who should have been, should be in there.

 

[crobro]

On the cusp should they or shouldn’t they be in

Charlie Simmer
Tim Kerr
Rick Martin
Dave Taylor
Alex Mogilny
Pierre Larouche
Nifty
Bernie Nichols

 

[Canadiens1958]

On the cusp should they or shouldn’t they be in

Charlie Simmer
Tim Kerr
Rick Martin
Dave Taylor
Alex Mogilny
Pierre Larouche
Nifty
Bernie Nichols

Maybe Rick Martin.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Maybe Rick Martin.

Martin averaged what; 37 goals a year? Palmateer doesn't eff up Rick's knee, the surgeon doesn't screw up the surgery, and Bowman doesn't rush Rick back, and Rick plays another 6 years? Martin probably ends up with 575+ goals for his career.

Or he comes back healthy and fades away after two 27 goal season; we'll never know.

I personally think he'd have put up well over 500 goals and been a strong candidate for the HOF......

Great guy too, never acted bitter about his career ending prematurely........

 

[seventieslord]

How is it that astute hockey historians, players, coaches, reporters & fans, people who watched Leo Boivins career through his 10-11yr peak with the Bruins actually call him the "bridge between Shore & Orr" & recognize in him, acknowledge that he was without a doubt one of the greatest Stay-At-Home Defencemen, Greatest Checkers & a terrific Leader of not only his generation but of any yet you.... you disagree and somehow "know better"? You "know more" than his contemporaries with whom he played, by the Coaches, Scouts, players who came before & those who came after but who followed Boivins career, effusively praising the the guys play every one of them?

Where were these people when it was time to vote on the best defensemen annually?

 

[Killion]

Where were these people when it was time to vote on the best defensemen annually?

Mostly voting for Doug Harvey & Pierre Pilote during Boivins prime.... No shame in that.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Mostly voting for Doug Harvey & Pierre Pilote during Boivins prime.... No shame in that.

Add Red Kelly, Marcel Pronovost, Bill Gadsby, Tim Horton all puck moving defencemen that were part of the new wave post introduction of the Red Line group of defence

 

[DitchMarner]

Just off the top of my head:

Clark Gillies - It's too bad, because he was good and important to the Isles success but not nearly enough to ever be considered "great"

Phil Housley - Scored a lot, but was equally bad in his own end which is not a good trait for a defenseman

Dave Andreychuk - A player that tends to make you never look at the HHOF the same again

Leo Boivin - Solid defenseman that we would all want on our team, punishing hitter, but so was Bob Baun or Adam Foote. I'd call them very serviceable, not great.

Dick Duff - It says something that when I read the headline "Duff, Roy get inducted" in 2006 I obviously knew who Roy was but was assuming Duff was an obscure player from the 1920s because the only other Duff I knew was Dick Duff and there is no way he'd ever.................

Joe Nieuwendyk - Never a star, never a #1 center for any stretch of time

Bernie Federko - Arguably a guy with a good case to still be in there but if there are 10 guys to take out one might be him

Bob Pulford - Better than Duff, definitely someone you wanted on your team. But great?

Edgar Laprade - No, I didn't see him play and he could possibly have some sort of "the stats don't tell everything" thing about him but I just have never seen it

Cam Neely - No question about it with his health this is a factor. I think a healthy Neely who played into his mid 30s and put up what he put up when he was healthy is a lock and not controversial, but part of me thinks there are times he just didn't have enough great seasons.


Honourable mention, Pat Burns. Not a player of course, but as a Builder. I don't know if I ever thought of him as a great coach. He never lasted more than 4 years on a team before he got fired. He stands out among coaches as someone who really didn't make an imprint on the game.

Good list... but were Anderson, Ciccarelli and Mullen really better than Nieuwendyk and Federko?

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Hazel is definitely a question mark. I wouldn't personally but if they are actually inducting women's players the odd time despite the fact it seems a little forced for a sport barely off the ground, it might make sense for them to induct someone who took part in the first (?) women's league of three teams. Again, I don't see the point, but if they are forcing the issue with the women's game why not the person who started it?



I know that there are a couple of us on here who have the opinion that if they are in the HHOF then they deserve it but what about the politics behind some of them? Not to mention the bizarre inclusion of some while others are still waiting. Is Rick Middleton someone who was a worse player than Gillies? Or someone who had a worse career? John Tonelli is hardly any worse than Gillies. In fact I'd have picked him over Gillies.

I recognize the impact he had protecting Bossy and such. It isn't as if I am without knowledge of the man, because I remember him, but it just doesn't add up.

Boivin finished 5th and 10th for the Norris. How is he considered among the best of his generation? This is a guy with a career similar to Bob Baun's. They aren't HHOFers. I'd like them both as my shutdown pair but the people who watched them game in and game out didn't think they were elite defenders. How does that translate into Boivin being in the HHOF?

Ckark Gilles was a two time 1st team all-star. His role as an enforcer while also being a top line player on a dynasty team certainly makes him quite unique in hockey history. The fact that he never had 100 penalty minutes in a season, in that era, says a lot about how well he did his job.

 

[DitchMarner]

Ckark Gilles was a two time 1st team all-star. His role as an enforcer while also being a top line player on a dynasty team certainly makes him quite unique in hockey history. The fact that he never had 100 penalty minutes in a season, in that era, says a lot about how well he did his job.

As a player, was Gillies really much better than, say, Wendel Clark?

He won some Cups playing on some of the best teams ever. He was certainly a good and unique player, but I don't think he should be a Hall of Famer.

 

[tony d]

Won't do a top 10 but Gillies, Boivin and Pulford would be my top 3. All good players but Hall of Famers? I don't know.